SIGNED QADI NURI ISFAHANI, SAFAVID HERAT, DATED AH 1007/1598-99 AD

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A CALLIGRAPHIC ALBUM LEAF
SIGNED QADI NURI ISFAHANI, SAFAVID HERAT, DATED AH 1007/1598-99 AD
Gouache heightened with gold on paper with gold floral illumination, a nasta'liq quatrain, with the name of Qadi Nuri Isfahani in the middle and dated AH 1007 beneath the bottom line, surrounded by panels of smaller nasta'liq written horizontally and vertically with gold interlinear and intercolumnar rule, small panels of gold and polychrome illumination between some of the panels, laid down between polychrome rules on a turquoise border with gold animal and floral illumination, verso similar with panels of nasta'liq arranged in panels horizontally, vertically and diagonally with small blocks of illumiantion, the border similar but on cream ground, small areas of staining or smudging
Text panel 7½ x 4 3/8in. (19.4 x 11cm.); folio 12 5/8 x 8in. (31.7 x 20.1cm.)

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Lot Essay

The page is signed: Dar Kitab-khana-ye navvab-e mamlekat-madar-e 'adalat shi'ar vali-ye molk-e khurasan Husayn Khan Shamlu semat-e tahrir yaft be-dar al-saltanah harat 1007 (It was written in the library of His Highness, the Seat of Grandeur, Excelling in Justice, the Governor of the Province of Khorassan, Husayn Khan Shamlu in the capital Herat 1007 (1598-99 AD)). Husayn Khan was the father of Hasan Shamlu who is reported as having taken on his father's positions after his death as the Chief of the Shamlu tribe, Commander-in-Chief in Khorassan, and Governor of Herat (Iskandar Beyg Munshi, Dhayl-e tarikh-e 'alam ara-ye 'abbasi, Soheyli-Khwansari (ed.), Tehran, 1317, p. 287).

Both sides of the page have ghazals and quatrains, including those bearing the pennames of Sa'di, Mujir and Anvari. The central couplet on the recto is identified as 'Qazi Nuri Isfahani' who may be Qazi Nurullah, who held the post of the Judge in Herat and is said to have written beautiful poems. He died in AH 927/1520-21 AD.

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